Marbury v. Madison

In his opinion, Chief Justice John Marshall held that the provision of the Judiciary Act of 1789, which allowed Marbury to bring his case to the Supreme Court, was unconstitutional because it extended the Court’s original jurisdiction beyond what Article III, Section 2, had established. Marshall…

<p>Critical decisions by the chief justice saved the Supreme Court’s independence — and made possible its wide-ranging role today.</p>

<p>Our greatest Chief Justice defined the Constitution and ensured that the rule of law prevailed at a time of presidential overreach and bitter political factionalism.</p>